South Sudan welcomes joint investigation for six killed aid workers

March 29, 2017 (JUBA) – The South Sudanese government said it was ready to accept a joint investigation to establish which group was behind the murder of six aid workers.

The aid workers were from the national organisations identified as Grassroots Empowerment and Development Organisation (GREDO), which works to support children released from armed groups.

Unknown gunmen attacked the six workers last week Saturday. No group has claimed any responsibility for the horrendous act. There have been no reports of any clashes between the armed forces in the area prior to the incident. The area is widely believed to be under a full control of the government and allied armed youth from Jonglei state. The armed youth recently carried out an invading attack in Boma state.

Tut Kew Gatluak, the Presidential Advisor on Security Affairs told the Sudan Tribune that the government was ready to accept any group interested in participating in the investigation process. Gatluak said the government had already been to the scene of the incident with members of the monitoring body, representatives from the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) and ceasefire monitoring body.

“What happened last week was an act of terrorism, which we condemned as the government. We call on our civil population to assist the government to get the perpetrators. We want to get to the bottom the incident and because of this interest, the government has now visited the scene of the incident with the groups and stakeholders interested in establishing the facts,” explained Tut Kew Gatluak.

The presidential aide declared that the Ceasefire and Transitional Security Arrangement Monitoring Mechanism (CTSAMM), a ceasefire monitoring and verification body, chaired by Major General Molla Haile Mariam, was free to conduct an independent investigation to establish the identity of the group and the motives for killing aid workers along Juba-Pibor road.

According to the 2015 agreement, CTSAMM is comprised of representatives from the two main warring parties, the Former Detainees (FDs), other Political Parties, the Women’s Bloc, Civil Society Organizations, the Youth, Eminent Personalities, IGAD, the African Union (AU), China, the Troika member countries comprising United States United Kingdom and Norway, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), the European Union (EU) and the IGAD Partners Forum.

Festus Gontebanye Mogae, head of the Joint Monitoring and Evaluation Commission (JMEC) said in a report, the JMEC is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the peace agreement as a whole and is the parent body for other institutions.

These institutions include the National Constitution Amendment Committee (NCAC), the Joint Military Ceasefire Commission (JMCC), the Economic and Financial Management Authority (EFMA), the Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR) and the Board of Special Reconstruction Fund (BSRF). JMEC in return reports to the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), the African Union and the UN Security Council amongst others.

The European Union Delegation, the Heads of Mission of Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Sweden, The United Kingdom, and the Heads of Mission of Canada, China, Japan, Norway, Switzerland and the United States have issued a joint statement on Thursday. This was their reaction to the killing of the six aid workers, where they condemned the act and called on the government to probe the incident.

The Heads of foreign missions in the country called upon the government to thoroughly investigate the attack and to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice.

“The Heads of Mission strongly condemn and deplore the reprehensible killing of six aid workers along the Juba to Pibor road on Saturday, March 25, 2017. Our deepest condolences go out to the families, friends, and colleagues of the deceased,” reads the statement released to the public on Thursday.

The foreign diplomats stressed and reminded the government of its main constitutional responsibility to ensure security and safety of the citizens and residents of the country. They also called on all parties to ensure safe, secure, and unhindered access of aid workers to people in need in the country.

“To prevent future such incidents, the Heads of Mission call upon all armed actors to undertake a ceasefire in line with the Agreement on Resolution of the Conflict in South Sudan, and to make genuine efforts to bring about peace, stability, and improved humanitarian access,” it adds.

Since the eruption of the conflict in 2013, at least 79 aid workers have lost their lives in the line of duty while delivering assistance to areas that need it most in the country.

(ST)

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30 March 00:20, by Kuch

Just look at that photo with that foolish woman and that UNIMISS criminal. Is that how the UN is supposed to be protecting our people? Don’t our people have brains to reason out that the UN, the UNIMISS, the UK, the US and their creepy NGOs are here in our country to occupy it and to colonize it? Who wants to be colonized by the US, the UK, their UN and their creepy NGOs?>>>

on the disguise of their damn UN, humanitarian aid, donations, peacekeeping and their so-called human rights business bullshits? We keep telling our foolish leaders to let us bomb the damn UN, UNIMISS and everything to do with evil white Americans, British people and their evil juus out of our country with their aid business. They are not going to leave our country alone with out blood fools>>>

The whole UN, the NGOs, the US, the UK and some of their creepy criminals in between here in our country has nothing to do with their love of our country and our people. But they after our resources and to encircle China. All these bullshits of famine, human rights, peacekeeping and humanitarian aid and donations are just veneers and cover to crawl their evil selves into our country>>>

The US, the UK, their UN and their creepy NGOs have taken some Nuers and Equatorians as their blackmails, bargaining chips and propaganda to use about South Sudan and the South Sudanese people. And there some foolish South Sudanese who seem not getting the dirty game the US, the UK, their UN and their creepy NGOs have been using in our country and against our people>>>

The US, the UK, their UN and their allies have destroyed Ukraine, Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Libya and Central Africa republic (CAR. But their most prized country with resources to be destroyed and be plundered in Africa is our country South Sudan. But the US, the UK, their UN, their sleazy NGOs and some of criminals in between are dreaming. They are not going to get anything.

There are many hungry people in Darfur, Eastern Sudan, Southern Blue Nile, Nuba Mts, Ethiopia, Northern Kenya, CAR, Congo, Malawi and Somalia. But name of the hungry South Sudanese people is very sweet for the US, the UK, their UN and their sleazy NGOs propaganda and begging. Some of South Sudanese are just fed up with the damn UN and NGOs free food>>>

Some of our communities just don’t even want to farm their lands, simply because dependency on free food has taken over and this what the UN and the sleazy NGOs want in our country. Some fools even want this aimless war to continue and it is going to be sustained by the UN and the NGOs. And many of our people are not factoring in the aid dependency. In Juba, Bor, Malakal, Anasir, Akoba, Leer>>>

Mayendit, Wau Shilluk and Bentiu; some makeshifts called POCs are becoming permanent. And the people in these so-called UN compounds just don’t want to their asses out to go and farm their lands. But to fold their damns legs and crossed their damn arms yabber days and nights about corruptions and misuse of resources and then wait for UN rations>>.

how long is the UN and the NGOs going to feed those so-called UN compounds? I will be damned if some of our communities are not going to be used by the UN and their NGOs next year as their yet another hungry South Sudanese. Some communities in our country just don’t have what is called shame. Once again fellows, Can you just look in that picture with a woman and a UNIMISS police and think about.

You really read out of touch with what going on in South Sudan! Start back in December 2013 and tell South Sudanese that we have no problems but the foreigners need our resources. U went beyond naivety! See our govt cannot even see what IGAD other leaders is doing to our country. Peace cannot come by ignoring major crisis like one in July 2016 and just asked rebels to put down weapons in surrender

And why people in person of NGOs have to dy in Govt controlled area while trying to help our people? Is it not becoz govt don’t want them help murle? They died trying to Help murle who were attacked by govt soldiers and govt armed Dinka Bor. Right? It is not good to put blame on pple who want to help us live like other peace loving nations but not on tribal base. Let’s be one in deeds not lip serv

Kuch,
This UN protection for women is neceassry, so that your uncircumcised jienge scoundrels known as "mathiang anyor" dont go raping defenceless women and so spread HIV/AIDS. Worrisome reports speak of over 70% of all women in PoCs have been raped. God forbid and help us that the HIV/AIDS carriers dont spread their scourge all over SS.

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